WHILE THERE are beautiful historic sites all across Tennessee and the world, Coffee County boasts one special historical treasure in its own backyard. The Old Stone Fort State Archaeological Park has been a state park since 1966, focused on protecting one of the most complex prehistoric Native American hilltop enclosures in the South.
Park ranger Eric Collins said the fort was one of the most special sites in Tennessee, and even in the United States, and it is a close resource for the locals of Coffee County.
“It’s a resource they can use to relax, or they can learn, teach their kids, and just have fun in,” Collins said.
Collins has an archaeological degree and helps with the archeological interpretation of the park, as well as event planning.
Someoftheeventstheparkhostsincludeatlatlthrowingcontests, flint knapping, and a junior ranger camp, as well as every day activities like hiking, fishing, and birding. Despite the wealth of opportunity, Collins said most of their visitors are not local.
“I honestly think we get more people from outside of the county, than inside of the county, that participate. We do have a friends group, and they are all local, but they aren’t numerous, and I would love to have more local engagement with our events,” Collins said.
Collins is not the only ranger at the state park. Park ranger and manager Keith Wimberley has been working as a ranger at Old Stone Fort for 22 years, and a manager for the past 12. He said the fort has been recognized professionally as one of, if not the most scenic sites preserved in North America.
“The Old Stone Fort is flanked by the Duck River and the Little Duck River,” Wimberley said. “It’s just a totally beautiful setting.”
Old Stone Fort is on a peninsula between the two scenic rivers and boasts a museum interpreting the theories on the fort’s builders along with archaeological findings and the historical culture and lineage of its builders.
The park has a rich history even beside the prehistoric structure. The banks of the Duck River were home to a rope factory, paper mills, and even a powder factory during the Civil War. The foundations of one of the paper mills can still be seen on the bluffs above Big Falls.
The fort is supported in part by a volunteer group called Friends of Old Stone Fort. Wimberley said that while the group is small and could use additional members, they’ve done a lot for the park.
“They support us through fundraising and volunteer support,” Wimberley said. “They’ve helped eradicate certain invasive species before, they’ve helped us purchase tree tags and install those tree tags for an arboretum we’re trying to establish… they’re supporting the park in whatever way we need.”
Despite this community support, Wimberley said that even now a lot of people that have lived in Coffee County for years will come for the first time and that many are wanting to do more active recreation, although that’s not the purpose of Old Stone Fort.
“The park is here to preserve the site, so [visitors] should always remember that when they come to visit,” Wimberley said. -GN
